Wrestlemania Thought

[Guest mw679]

Ok, so I'm sitting here watching my Best of Japan 2001 tape set and I start thinking, what if the WWE ever held Wrestlemania in Japan? I know it's far fetched, but bear with me. If they ever did, they could have only like 6 or 7 matches on the card and everyone would work a style that would get over with the Japanese fans, not this "WWE style"...I just think it would be cool to see, I know the time difference and everything would screw things up but damn I'd love to see wrestlers pulling out things they'd never be able to do while hampered with that dreaded WWE style *cough*vertebreaker*cough*. Anyway, figured I'd chime in, share your thoughts.....

[Guest bob_barron]

It's a 4 hr show- and only 6 or 7 matches?

 

Plus- uhhhh they couldn't aor ot live.

 

And how do you know wrestlers would crazy stuff? I don't think anyon=re would wanna take the head drop stuff.

 

The Vertebreaker is overrated.

 

Why should Vince do a Wrestlemania just for Japanese fans? The tour earlier this year drew very well, and I believe all the matches were done in "WWE" style.

 

And since there are more American fans then Puro fans- Vince should book for the NA fans not puro fans

[Guest mw679]

Basically, all I'm saying is if they worked a more mat based Japanese style, the matches would be longer so only 6 or 7 matches would suffice. I already stated the time difference as well. I think it would be different to see some good wrestling for once like we all know these guys can pull off. I personally like the vertebreaker. All I'm saying is "what if..." trying to get some opinions, that's all.

[Guest bob_barron]

But mat based style is kind of boring especially with most WWE wrestlers not being able to work it.

 

I mean Brock, Angle, Regal and Benoit could probably all do it but Triple H, Kane, Taker, etc would not be able to do it too well.

 

And a bunch of long matches would be really draining after a while- there's only so much one could take.

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

There's brawlers in Japan too not just mat wrestlers. Even the brawlers have toned down styles due to the WWE style. Even they could break out if their movesets were not limited.

[Guest mw679]

Well, mat based with a mix of high spots, of course. HHH USED to be able to work good matches and I'm sure he still could with a little motivation. Not all matches would go on forever but I'd give the wrestlers some time to tell a good story while in there. I believe most of the roster could work some really good matches if given the chance.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Too much of a time delay to be a WM. Maybe a Summerslam - like Wembly in 92.

 

Vince wants to do the Tokyo Dome - no doubt. He has tried many times to break through in Japan over the last decade or so and with his recent success in Feb/March I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen.

[Guest RedJed]

I wouldn't mind seeing it happen, but it would be a change of pace for sure, and I don't know how the general casual fan of WWE (if there even is one of those anymore) would take for it with the different atmosphere and style, not to mention the crowd.

 

This wouldn't be ideal for a Wrestlemania though, thats too big of an event to be changed up this radically for. It would have to be either a non-American ppv event where there was non-existant storylines or perhaps an event like the Rumble where the rules are pre-known by the crowd how the Rumble works. In fact I would love seeing the RR in Japan for some reason.

[Guest Brian]

But...the backstage segments. Can't have a show without superfluous backstage segments.

 

Anyways, I wouldn't be surprised to see Vince try the Tokyo Dome. They could try to hook up with someone and do a joint, big long StarCade, four or five hours or something. Like Ultimo, but that isn't really a big draw.

 

They have right now, Rey, Regal, Benoit, Angle, Eddie, Knoble, and Golddust who all seem to be competent mat workers. But if they have Rock again they might be able to pull it off, with the crowd.

[Guest RedJed]

What would be cool is a joint ppv with Dragon's company (for showcasing a kickass undercard of cruiserweights) and perhaps even make a small deal as well with All Japan. It could logisitically happen since Mutoh is now running things there and Johnny Ace has always been respected over there. The last time the WWF was in Japan last year, Mutoh was there making power plays to anyone who would listen, it sounded like.

 

This would work twofold not for just the fans but for All Japan and Dragon's company, since doing a big time show at the Tokyo Dome could really do a blow to Inoki, damaging enough that New Japan could securely be dropped down a few notches. They're already doing bad business with Chyna there, but this could really hurt them.

[Guest cynicalprofit]

Great idea, never gonna happen.

 

Sides would the american audience want to buy wrestlemaina from japan? I mean i doubt the wwf would spend anywhere near as much to advertise it as they normally do, cause it wouldnt be state side. and paying double the advertising price on the level for wrestlemaina would be way to costly. They spend what, like a million on wrestlemain, thats atleast 2 million if the japanes ads rates arent higher or lower. Thats alot of money on something that could go really bad....not xfl bad, but it would surly hurt wrestlemainas specialness.

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

It could be done, time-wise. Time in the Eastern Time Zone right now is 2:12 AM, so it's probably 4:12 PM in Japan right now. An 8 PM Wrestlemania would be starting at 10 AM in Japan. Not that big of a deal if you want to make the time zone argument. Doing things on the other side of the International Date Line is all right, but anything in Europe is almost impossible due to it being the middle of the night there when a PPV would normally begin.

 

Fo sheez,

Kotzenjunge

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

You know, Im guessing Seattle has a large Japanese population (the popularity of Ichiro and stuff..) Makes you wonder. Of course, if Wrestlemania XX is anywhere but MSG, there will likely be a revolt, but holding it in Japan would likely result in mass rioting in Stamford.

[Guest converge241]

I dont think it would work.

i think there's still too many close minded wrestling fans who would have some kind of issue with the Japaneese audience.

 

Myself i would love to see a Tpkyo dome WWE ppv, really incorporating the japaneese style

[Guest oldschoolwrestling]

It would be like playing the Super Bowl or World Series over there, it just wouldn't seem right.

[Guest mw679]

All very good points well taken. I'd still love to see it. Hell, I know even Hogan has worked that Japanese style there and pulled off some interesting matches. Better than anything he's done in NA. Anyway, maybe not Wrestlemania, but the RR is also a good idea. I still think Vince is eyeing the audience over in the Land of the Rising Sun....

[Guest Dr. Wrestlingphysics]

I don't think they should take Wrestlemania to Japan, but a smaller PPV, sure, it would be an interesting experiment.

[Guest Gary Busey]

I'm not sure that Japanese fans would like WWE wrestlers doing a crappy imitation of their usual style. There is already a large overseas following of the WWE-- they'd want the People's Elbow and Stunners just like fans here do.

 

Why would WWE want their wrestlers to change their style if they already deem the Japanese style too dangerous to be performed here in the states? "Ah hell boys, start busting out the moves you aren't trained to perform and will most likely injure each other with! Taker, your new finisher is the Ganso Bomb!"

 

If WWE does a major show in Japan, it will be just like the Australian tour-- a large scale show of the same stuff you see here in the states.

[Guest mw679]

who says these guys aren't trained to do other moves? Just because all the WWE lets them do is lariats, bodyslams and big boots, that's all they are trained to take? I don't think so. The wrestlers could do all their normal moves, but could add in a little more than just punch, kick, punch, kick, lariat, big boot, elbow drop....run-in, DQ. You missed my point.

[Guest Brian]

They should be able to do that anyways. If a guy can and is willing to take an Emerald Fusion, let him do it.

[Guest Gary Busey]

I don't think the majority of the guys in the WWE can expand on what we see on the average Monday, Thursday or Sunday night. We are not going to see HHH, Taker, Kane, etc bust out something impressive at this point-- if they had anything left in their tanks, they would be using it now in the states to try to improve business. Could Angle, Benoit, Eddie and the other usual suspects put on some great matches? Yeah, but they wouldn't be any different then what you see here. WWE management wouldn't relax the WWE Style any just because they crossed the ocean.

 

I guess I did miss the point of the original post-- my understanding was that it was suggested the WWE would go to Japan, run a huge show that showcased fewer matches with mat based wrestling with a lot of highspots, catering to the Japanese fans and their favorite type of wrestling. That won't happen-- when the WWE goes to Japan, it will be a large show, but it will be exactly like the Australian or British tours. No change in wrestling, wrestlers, format, etc.

 

On a side note, the legendary run Hogan had in Japan is a myth and at this point little more then a joke. He didn't start busting out high flying moonsaults, complicated near fall combinations are tricky holds/counters. He went over to Japan, had some of his usual WWF matches, had the company spew some lines and built himself up. Check out the Hulk Still Rules DVD, the amount of praising he gives himself for his Japanese run is amazing.

 

That shows that the WWE wouldn't change a thing-- they had Hogan over there, doing his usual routine, and they popped some good numbers and created an ongoing myth here in the states about the run. HHH would pedigree, Kane would chokeslam and Taker would Last Ride people while Benoit and Angle had their short midcard matches, just as if they were in Alabama instead of Tokyo.

[Guest Brian]

Hogan's psychology was much stronger in Japan. He displayed alot of moves that I've never seen him pull out stateside. There's more than myth to it.

[Guest Gary Busey]

I'll give that he did use a few more moves then he did here with added thought behind them, but I'm willing to bet that his opponents had a lot to do with that. Most accounts around the net would have a person believe he would have out wrestled Angle and Benoit, combined. He had some crappy matches instead of shitty ones.

 

The important thing that the Japanese run did for him was to get some good cash and add to Hogan's worldwide legend-- it wasn't an impressive wrestling run.

[Guest Brian]

For example, take his match with Stan Hansen in 4/90. He took Hansen to the mat, and did so to counter his brawling. He did it multiple times, He worked stiff and snug. It's an awesome brawl.

[Guest mw679]

Thank You Brian, Hogan showed a lot psycology in his matches over in Japan, to help get over in that enviornment. I think the fans over in Japan would like to see these stars do something closer to what they see all the time, using more psycology and maybe a little more mat wrestling thrown in with some good brawling, building to a great finish, instead of, like I said before...punch, kick, punch, kick, etc. Not saying it's ever going to happen, but what if...I think it would be entertaining to not only the Japanese fans, but maybe the NA(as well as European) fans would see that their favorite stars could really pull off a great, watchable match instead of the 3 minute punch/kick fests we get now.

[Guest Brian]

And Hansen is hardly a mat wizard, and he rarely ever goes to the mat.

[Guest Brian]

He definately wasn't afraid to work a little stiffer and bust out some different moves. And he was definately wrestling a lot smarter than he did stateside, probably because it helped him to work better there and play the act here.

[Guest Ravenbomb]

there are too many cities in the states that they should have a WM at before they go over to Japan

[Guest RickyChosyu]

Hogan had the one match with Hansen, that was it. Your enterpretation of him being "damn good when he wanted to be" is a product of all the fuckwads trying to pass off Hogan/Muta as a masterpiece.

 

It isn't.

 

*EDIT* As for Hogan/Hansen, I think it's pretty obvious who the miracle worker was there, and who the often-terrible-guy-being-carried was. Hansen is one of the best wrestlers ever, without a doubt, and took part in the second best men's singles match I've ever seen. Hogan.....well, his awards aren't quite so high.

[Guest Cataclysm911]

The Vertebreaker is overrated.

*Bitch slapped*